January 7, 2011 10:44 am· Comments Off on Provincial disaster body wants Davao Norte to declare state of calamity

DAVAO DEL NORTE, Jan. 7 — The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) here passed a resolution asking the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Davao del Norte to place the province under state of calamity due to flashfloods caused by intermittent rains.

January 7, 2011 10:44 am· Comments Off on ARMM-Malaysia barter trade starts this January

COTABATO CITY, Jan. 7 – The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) will officially start this month its barter enterprise with Malaysia as a result of the successful trading arrangement inked last week with the Sandakan-based group of entrepreneurs.

January 7, 2011 10:44 am· Comments Off on AFP official orders all military units to heighten security awareness, strengthen forces in Davao Region

DAVAO CITY, Jan. 7 — The top commander of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Eastern Mindanao (EastMinCom) ordered on Friday all military units to heighten security awareness and strengthen their force protection measures in order to prevent similar incidents like the ambush of three soldiers in Tagum City, Thursday from happening again.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 — U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced on Thursday that he would cut weapons programs and troops in a bid to rein in military spending and stave off potentially deeper cuts to the defense budget.

OTTAWA, Jan. 7 — The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced Thursday that its officers at the Carson Port of Entry in British Columbia had intercepted 83 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated street value of 3.5 million Canadian dollars (about 3.513 US dollars).

January 7, 2011 10:44 am· Comments Off on Flurry of int'l diplomacy launched in bid to revive Mideast peace process

by Gur Salomon

JERUSALEM, Jan. 7 — Following a long hiatus in international involvement in the stalled Mideast peace process, intense diplomatic activity was launched this week in an effort to get Israelis and the Palestinians back to the negotiating table.